


Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy

by dani_grl82



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Marvel Cinematic Universe Fusion, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Banter, Caroline Forbes is a BAMF, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Inspired by Iron Man, Klaus Mikaelson is an Idiot, and Tony and Pepper's snarky banter, but a lovable one who has excellent taste in women
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 01:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15474801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dani_grl82/pseuds/dani_grl82
Summary: “I am the Hybrid.”Four words. Five syllables. And just like that Caroline Forbes life was never the same.





	Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [princessoftheworlds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessoftheworlds/gifts).



> Happy Klaroline giftee! This is sort of a mash up of a few different things and I’m hoping you love it! 
> 
> No beta for this all mistakes are mine alone.

_But baby loving you ain't easy_  
_It's fire and then it's rain_  
_I said loving you ain't easy_  
_Baby, you're what I crave_

  
_—Michael Pagliaro_

 

* * *  
 

When Klaus told her to call a press conference, Caroline assumed it had something to do with whatever new technology he’d been working on the last few months. Ever since his near death experience Klaus had become obsessed with the idea of finding new ways to protect himself and others from harm.

Klaus had been missing three months. No one see the authorities had no leads and while the board was pushing to have him declared dead Caroline was one of only a handful of people insistent that Klaus might still be alive. She and his siblings were in the midst of organizing their own search and rescue op when they received word he’d turned up at an American Embassy. He was dehydrated, had three broken ribs and looked like hell but he was alive.

Caroline wasn’t overly affectionate with her boss for a number of reasons, his reputation around the office being one and her own internal struggle with her complicated feelings for him being another. So when she found herself running into his arms and clinging to his shockingly thin frame when they were reunited at private hangar near LAX, she honestly couldn’t say who’d been more surprised him or her. Klaus had only frozen for a moment before hugging her back, tilting his head towards her temple to breath in the familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo.

Caroline felt her eyes burning with unshed tears and the lump in her throat was the size of a baseball but somehow she managed a slightly shaky, “Welcome home, Klaus.” She squeezed him once more and let her lips graze his cheek before pulling back and stepping aside so his sitter could take her place.

Caroline pulled herself together while Klaus’ family swarmed him, whisking away the few tears that had managed to escape. She’d gone back to keeping things strictly professional, a task made all the easier once Klaus started locking himself in his laboratory.

He’d sequestered himself there a few days after his return, barely pausing to assure the shareholders and board he was alive and on his way to being well before changing the codes on the locks so no one (read her) could walk in unannounced. Caroline tried not to take it personally and instead focused on what she did best; running Klaus Mikaelson’s life for him.

She ran interference with the board, with his father and with his harem of women who kept trying to sneak into the penthouse apartment at the top of his building. Per Klaus’ request Caroline refused any and all requests for an interview and directed people to Alpha Industries PR department. So when he showed up at the office out of the blue earlier in the week, demanding Caroline organize a press conference for today, she was confused but did as he asked.

It had started out as she’d expected. Klaus talked about being home after his ordeal and how what he’d gone through had inspired him to try and create a new way to defend people against those who wished to harm them. Caroline was only half listening to what he was saying as she scrolled through her schedule for the upcoming week. She looked up when she recognized the breathy, trying way too hard to sexy drawl of one Camille O’Connell. Caroline barely contained her eyes automatic response to roll upon hearing the journalist and she hid her smirk behind her hand when she realized what Camille was asking Klaus about.

“Mr. Mikaelson, these rumors have been circulating for weeks now. A few of the people the Hybrid saved from that bridge collapse swear it was your voice they heard telling them quote, "you don’t have to thank me but your undying gratitude would not go amiss,” end quote.” The other members of the press tittered amongst themselves but the intrepid Ms. O’Connell was nothing if not persistent; her never ending attempts to get back into Klaus’ bed were evidence of that. “We had the video’s taken that day analyzed by experts and they’re inclined to agree with them. And it’s not just the bridge collapse. There’s dozens of videos of the Hybrid performing daring rescues and exacting his vigilante style of justice, throwing out quippy one-liners here and there. Three different experts said that it’s your voice on those videos Kl- Mr. Mikaelson are you calling them all liars?” When he didn’t answer she continued, “The people have a right to know, are you the Hybrid?”

This got a few of the other reporter’s attention but most were still treating it like the joke it was. Caroline was trying desperately hard not to burst out laughing herself. The idea that Klaus Mikaelson, the very definition of billionaire playboy, would do something as outlandish as becoming a superhero was preposterous. Klaus wasn’t a bad man, Caroline wouldn’t have those confusing feelings for him if he was but he wasn’t a good man either. He was selfish and egotistical and went through women like tissue paper. He hardly ever thought about the consequences of his actions and usually left it to her to clean up his messes. Just the thought of him running around in the Hybrid’s metal suit had her cackling silently.

She looked to Klaus to garner his reaction to this ludicrous line of questioning and was stunned to see that he didn’t look amused or annoyed. He looked…nervous. And irritated, which was understandable given it was Camille but the nervous thing was throwing her off. The room fell silent while they waited for his response. Caroline couldn’t explain why she suddenly felt nauseous or why her palms started sweating. She only knew that for some reason she was dreading his response. She had just made the decision to step in and end the press conference when he finally responded.

“I am the Hybrid.”

Four words. Five syllables. And just like that Caroline Forbes life was never the same.  

* * *

Overall, Klaus thought the meeting with the press had gone rather well. The frenzy of questions after he’d admitted to being the Hybrid had been expected but he still felt a little overwhelmed by the time they were done. He’d expected Caroline to be waiting for him at the exit door but when he didn’t find her there he assumed she’d gone back to the office. He took the elevator to the his penthouse, pulling out his phone on the ride up to send Caroline a message, asking her to meet him at his place when she was free.

The elevator dinged when it hit his floor, the doors sliding open to reveal the renovated loft.

He made it about three paces into his home before a fist connected with his face. His face exploded in pain but his reflexes kicked in immediately, stopping the next punch coming his way by grabbing it with his own hand and twisting his assailants arm behind their back. The smell of strawberries was the only thing that stopped him from breaking Caroline’s arm.

He dropped her arm instantly putting his hands up in an apologetic manner and was preparing to beg forgiveness for manhandling her when she took another swing at him. He managed to duck that one but not the kick she aimed at his instep. He would have been impressed with her form and the strength of her hits if he weren’t so busy trying to avoid them. When she tried to kick his balls up into his teeth was when he finally gave up playing defense and simply pushed against the nearest wall. She put up a token struggle to try and get away from him but when she realized it was useless she settled for pinning him with a glare so full of rage he was amazed he didn’t burst into flames. Most mortal men would wither under her gaze but he was made of sterner stuff. Plus he was used to her mad face just like he was used to her resolve face and her tired face and her happy face.

“Not that I don’t love a good tussle, especially with you,” he smirked and adjusted his hold when she tried knee him again, “but might I ask what brought this on?”

“You have the nerve to ask me why I’m upset with you?” After that stunt you just pulled out there?”

“It wasn’t a stunt, Caroline. I was planning to announce it anyways Camille just beat me to the punch. Speaking of punches,” his smile widened as her eyes narrowed at his joke, “want to tell me why you’re trying to rearrange my face?”

“Because you clearly need some sense knocked into you!” Her vice cracked at the end and suddenly Klaus saw the fear behind the anger. She was afraid but he wasn’t sure of why. He wondered if it was possible she was afraid of him. The thought left him cold and was abruptly aware of close they were and how he had her hands trapped between them. He quickly stepped back, dropping her hands as he did.

She sagged against the wall for a bit before straightening up. Her eyes were red and he wanted to ask if she’d been crying but knew she would probably try to hit him again if he did. She definitely needed ice for hand and he wanted a drink so he made his way over to the bar. He poured two tumblers of whiskey and threw some ice in a napkin before turning back.

Caroline made her way towards the center of room but hadn’t bothered to sit down. Klaus knew her well enough to know she would need to pace while they talked otherwise she might start stressing cleaning his living room. He sat the drink down on the coffee table and offered her the ice pack. Caroline was stubborn and he could tell that a part of her wanted to refuse but logic won out and she took the ice. Klaus took a sip of liquid courage before setting his own glass down.

“Love, I want you to understand I would never hurt you.” She was moving back and forth in front of the fireplace but she glanced up and met his eyes at his statement. She still looked upset but she also looked vaguely perplexed. He went on, “Whatever scares you about the Hybrid I promise I’ll do my best to alleviate those fears. Regardless of how it looks, I’m still me under the suit. Caroline tell me what I can do to prove you don’t have to be afraid of me.”

She sighed and reached down to grab the tumbler. Caroline tipped the glass back and swallowed its contents whole before setting it back down along with the ice she’d been using on her hands. She flexed her fingers and grimaced.

“Klaus I’m not scared of you, I’m scared for you. When you went missing and people were saying you were dead, it took everything I had to remain positive. Which was hard to do when everyone kept talking about you in the past tense. And then suddenly you’re back and your first instinct is put yourself in more danger and it’s just so incredibly selfish and so like you to do something like this and not think about how it affects other people.”

“Hey, I am not being selfish Caroline I am doing this to protect those around me.”

“I’m sure a part of you is but we both know you’re also doing it just to prove you can. Because you hate to lose and you hate being vulnerable and you lash out and do rash things when you’re upset. I never thought you’d be so stupid and selfish though. A superhero, really? That is so clichéd, like six other superheroes already had that origin story. Have you thought about what happens when you get hurt? No, of course you haven’t because you’re you and you don’t think about anyone but yourself. ”

“Caroline,” Klaus was struggling to maintain his calm. The news was shocking so he was trying not to take her verbal lashing to heart. “clichéd or not it is what it is. I am the Hybrid. Whether you believe me or not I am doing this for you and for my family and for other families who can’t defend themselves. I can’t in good conscience sit back and do nothing when I have the means to help. You’re always telling me to get off my ass and do something worthwhile with my life. Well I took your advice.”

“This is not what I meant and you know it! I meant do some charity work or use your talents to cure cancer or something. Putting on a tin suit-”

“It’s actually a type of titanium.” The glare was back.

“Whatever kind of metal suit and gallivanting around L.A. fighting bad guys. Do you have a death wish or something?”

“It’s not about having a death wish. I’m not doing this for the thrill of it I’m doing it because I have to. Something inside me won’t let me sit idly by while others suffer. I know I haven’t told you the details of what happened to me and I’m sorry that I’ve kept it from you but trust me when I say it changed me. So I’m gonna keep doing what I need to in order to make sure no one else goes through what I went through. If I get hurt or worse at least I’ll know I was doing something worth dying for.”

Caroline was quiet for a bit, absorbing his words. She’d gone back to pacing in front of his fireplace. She stopped to look at a photo of Klaus and his family taken while on holiday last year.  

“You know your father was the one who told me you were missing. He walked into my office, said your plan had gone down and that I should probably think about updating my resume.” Klaus clenched his fists. He hated that his father was anywhere near Caroline. “I went and saw Rebekah as soon as I could. I knew you’d want me to check on her first. Elijah and Kol were already at her place when I arrived. I expected to find her hysterical but she was calm and focused and already on the phone with a friend who had Interpol connections. You would have been proud of her.”

She turned to face him now and the anger had been replaced with what Klaus could only describe as heartache.

“We were planning our own op to go looking for you, you know? When we got the call you’d been found.” He hadn’t known. “ Rebekah collapsed onto a couch, the weight of everything finally getting to her I think and Kol called you a lucky bastard. Elijah gripped the back of a chair and sighed heavily. It was quite the emotional outburst for him.” The tears she’d managed to hold back the last few months finally managed to escape; she didn’t bother wiping them away. “We were all so relieved when we got you back and it breaks my heart that you don’t care as much about your safety as we do. They were putting up a good front but if you had died I don’t think your siblings would have ever recovered.”

“What about you, Caroline? Would you have survived?” The question was risky. They didn’t talk about their feelings ever but she kept going on and on about how his family felt and he was desperate to know what she felt. Klaus knew Caroline worked hard to present a professional appearance and that meant keeping him at arm's length. There was an attraction there and while he was willing she’d never once indicated she was. Today was different though, she was different and he had to know if the possibility of his death had affected her.

She knew of course what he meant, what he was subtlety asking her without really asking. They been dancing around each other long enough and while she played her cards close to the chest, he’d flirted with her freely ever since they first met. He’d never hidden the fact he liked her but he valued her friendship more and over the years had pulled back on the come-hither looks and seductive comments. In the back of his mind he’d always hoped they’d have a conversation about the proverbial elephant in the room just not right after he announced he was engaging in vigilante justice.

Her hands rested at her sides and her lip trembled slightly when she tried to frown at him. Finally she said, “ I would have been devastated.”

Klaus was across the room in seconds, his hands cupped her cheeks and he pressed his mouth against hers. He could taste the salt from her tears on her lips and he suddenly hated himself putting them there. Their first kiss she should have tasted like champagne and laughter.

Caroline threaded her fingers through his hair with one hand and the nails of her other hand dug into his waste, pulling him against her. She seemed as desperate as he was and for a short time the only sounds in the room were the gasps and moans that escaped their lips. Then, just as suddenly as it started it stopped. Caroline pushed him away and he begrudgingly let her go. Neither of them knew what to say. She touched her fingers to her lips, now ready and puffy from his kisses. He was just thinking it was a sight he could get used to when she asked quietly, “Are you serious about this Hybrid business?”

Klaus wished he could tell her no, that he would give it up in a heartbeat if she asked him to. And the old him would have, the Klaus from before who was immature and reckless and whom she never would have kissed. He couldn’t though and he when he told her that he watched the light die a little bit in her eyes.

She glanced around the room, needing a second to collect herself. Caroline was a trooper though and he watched her straighten her shoulders and clear her throat before she looked back at him.

“Ok. If you refuse to see reason and stop then I refuse to sit around and watch you get yourself killed. Please consider this my unofficial resignation.” His mind went blank at the word resignation. All he could hear was white noise and he swore he started seeing spots. He caught the words “two weeks notice” and “replacement” but he couldn’t comprehend what they meant.

She was leaving him? After all this time and all the shit he pulled, this was the final nail in the coffin? Klaus was a master at driving others away but he truly never thought he’d be able to do it with Caroline. She’d seen him at his worst and stuck around but now that he was doing something good, something righteous she was going to abandon him.

He was just coming around when he felt he lips on his cheek and then at his ear.

“Goodbye, Klaus.”

He’d later blame the shock at her quitting for his failure to do anything to stop her as she walked out of his home.

* * *

Caroline was proud of herself for walking away even though she felt like a hollow shell of her former self after the confrontation with Klaus. Once she understood his need for the suit outweighed his love for his family (and her) she knew she had to leave. And not just his apartment; she had to leave him.

She’d planned to go into the office on Monday and start organizing things for when she was gone. She’d need to look at getting Klaus a replacement assistant even if it was just a temporary one. She needed to get her own affairs in order too and start looking for a new job. She tried like hell to not think about the kiss and how it made her feel.

For so long she’d wondered what it would be like and now that she knew she wished she could go back. She didn’t want to know how soft and pliant his lips were or what it felt like the first time his tongue touched her. She swore she could still taste him and smell him on her skin sometimes and it was utter torture.

She spent the weekend locked in her apartment, her phone and tablet off catching up on the Great British Baking Show. She’d already selected her outfit for Monday morning, a severe black suit that would make her look stern and put together on the outside even if she was falling apart on the inside. She had a plan and a checklist and she was going to get through this.

The plan went all to hell when she got kidnapped.

Caroline woke up tied to chair in dark room. Based on how high the windows were and the dirt on the floor she guessed it was a basement or cellar. She had no clue how long she’d been out but her bladder told her it had been a while. She started yelling for help and only stopped when the two men in masks came in brandishing weapons. She wanted to ask who they were and what they wanted but Mother Nature was insistent so her first question was where the restroom was.

Once she was tied back in her chair she started firing questions at them. Neither said anything the just stood stationary and watched her work herself into snit. When she heard footsteps outside she got ready to start yelling again but before she could another person came striding into the room.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Caroline had never been a fan of Mikael Mikaelson. She’d heard enough stories and snippets of conversations over the years to know he had treated Klaus horribly as a child. While his siblings didn’t care about his illegitimate his stepfather never let him forget it. Mikael had been furious when Klaus’ biological father left a large inheritance and controlling interest in his tech company. Klaus took an already successive business and turned it into a household name and it infuriated Mikael to his wife’s bastard son make a success of himself. Caroline never thought he would be so petty as to stoop to petty villainy though.

“Caroline, lovely as always to see you.”

“Oh go to hell.

“So eloquent. As pleasurable as I find your company” he gave her legs that were exposed by her skirt a creepy once over, “I didn’t bring you here to catch up. I need that bastard Niklaus to give me the plans for his suit. So far he’s been tight-lipped and has refused to share.” Mikael moved towards her and grasped a piece of her hair between his fingers. Caroline visibly shuddered and this only seemed to amuse him. “Something tells me once he knows who has his precious Caroline he’ll be much more forthcoming.”

With that he turned and left, the masked henchmen following closely behind him. Caroline yelled after Mikael demanding to be released and calling him every dirty name she could think of. She only saw people twice a day once in the morning to release her to use the facilities and feed her and then again in the evening for the same thing. She tried everything she could think of to get them to talk but they all ignored her.

By day five she it dawned on her she was well and truly kidnapped and it appeared she was going to have to get herself out of the situation. She had no doubt Klaus was tearing the city apart looking for her but she’d be damned if she was gonna wait around like some damsel in distress. She would save herself, thank you very much.

She started to inventory the room she was being kept in. They’d taken to tying her to an old pipe which meant she had about ten feet in either direction she could explore. She was too far away from any windows and the floors were frustratingly bare. There was some old rebar along the back wall but again she was too far away to reach it.

On day eight, Mikael was back and he did not look happy.

“Klaus seems to think he’s in control of this situation,” he said as he had one of the guards untie her. She rubbed her wrists where the rope had started wear at her skin. “Let’s show him otherwise.”

The blow almost knocked out. She felt the excruciating pain explode across her cheek and the impact upon hitting the ground caused her to skin her hands and knees. She could taste blood in her mouth and there was nothing to be done about the whimper of pain that escaped her mouth. A rough hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up and titled her face back. Mikael smirked down at her and whatever he saw must have pleased him. He ordered the guards to hold her up between them and she saw a flash go off a moment later.

“There now, maybe he’ll be more amenable to future discussions once he sees how you’re being treated.” The guards let her fall where she stood and they left along with Mikael. Caroline was in horrendous pain and while she normally wouldn’t have given Mikael the satisfaction of seeing her that way she used it her advantage. Assuming she was told hurt to move they’d left her untied for the first time since she’d woken up. She’d spent the last week investigating her cell and when she no longer heard the footsteps echoing in the hall, she made her move. She grab a piece of rebar and stashed it near her chair and the exposed pipe, close enough she could grab it quickly but hidden from prying eyes under some debris. She just had to bide to her time and wait for an opportunity.

 

One finally presented itself on the evening of the her ninth night in captivity. Mikael came storming into the room late, for once not surrounded by goons. He was going on and on about how Klaus would listen to reason and that he wasn’t going to let him get away with humiliating him. When he mentioned that he should have killed him when he had the chance, she looked up in shock. “ _When had Mikael tried to kill Klaus?”_ she wondered.

Mikael was ranting about how Klaus should have just given in the first time and all this would have been over.

“You see,” he said turning to her for the first time since he’d entered, “it’s his fault you’re here, Ms. Forbes. I gave Klaus the opportunity to build the suit for me months ago and he would be given a swift death. He refused, stubbard bastard that he is, and so I was forced to use violent methods of persuasion.” Caroline was shocked. She knew Klaus and his father had their issues but she couldn't believe that he hadn’t mentioned to her or his sibling what his father had done to him. Suddenly his insistence that he was doing this for a bigger reason didn’t seem quite so selfish.

“How could you do that? He’s your stepson, you raised him.”

“Wrong! I didn’t raise him I was stuck with him. Stuck with the evidence of my wife’s infidelity, stuck while it ate my food, played with my children. He should have done us all a favor and died like he was supposed to.”

Caroline felt like she had whiplash; Mikael was responsible for Klaus almost dying. He’d been so jealous of Klaus’ success he’d tried to use him and then murder him.

“ _How dare he_ ,” she she thought to herself, “ _how dare he attack the man I might possibly love._ ”

That was the other thing she’d been obsessing about the last week and half while trying to get free, her feelings for Klaus. Once she’d had time to think about why he was doing what he was doing she was willing to admit she could maybe see where he was coming from; being confronted with Mikael’s treachery she now completely understood why Klaus was doing what he was doing.

She’d also come to the conclusion that as much as it would pain her to watch, she couldn’t abandon him. Caroline wanted to be there to talk sense into him and to ensure he made it home safe when he was out running around in metal underoos. She wanted to kiss him again, hell she wanted to do a lot more than just kiss him. She wanted to wake up with him and fall asleep next to him, she wanted to go on a vacation with him and she wanted to find out if this thing that was between had had any legs to stand on. She wanted to find out if the butterflies in her stomach were just nerves or if they were because she felt as deeply for Klaus as she suspected she did.

First though, she had to take care of the sniveling weasel who was currently holding her against her will. Mikael had gone back to pacing around the room, this time going on about how Klaus didn’t have the balls to save her and that he cared more about his precious metal suit than he did her. While his back was turned she quietly pulled her weapon out of it's hiding place.

* * *

It had taken every once of willpower Klaus contained to not simply rip his father apart when Mikael told him he had Caroline. He'd torn his penthouse apart and then he'd proceeded to tear his brother's apartment apart when he went to Kol for help finding Caroline. They'd been trying to track his phone or the phones of people he'd been in contact with when Klaus got the picture of Caroline with a bloody lip and large bruise forming on the left side of her face. Klaus saw red.

It was only Elijah and Kol's assurance that the photo would help them find her that stopped Klaus from dropping his stepfather off the side of a high-rise. Their promise had come to fruition. The photo plus data from Mikael and his associates phones allowed Klaus to track her to an abandoned set of townhomes in a dilpoitated part of Los Angeles. Klaus was already out the door, flying to her location before either brother had the chance to even say the words police or back-up. 

Elijah informed him that the police would be getting there within about 15 minutes of his own arrival and would it possible to not kill Mikael as Klaus would mostly likely be arrested for homicide. Klaus promised to try not to kill him.

 

There were four men on the first floor when he arrived and Klaus thoroughly enjoyed the thrashing he gave them. He was preparing to head down to the cellar when he heard a door off the kitchen opening. He set his canons to fire but pulled up when he recognized the golden blonde hair that peaked around the corner.

Her lip was stiff swollen and he could see where the bruise on her face was starting to turn purple and black but miraculously she looked all right aside from that. Caroline ran towards him much like she had in the airplane hanger all those months ago and once again threw herself into his arms. Klaus tore his helmet off and tossed it aside. Her lips found his and while he wanted to ravish her mouth he was careful not to reopen the cut she had.

“Where’s Mikael?” he asked after they separated, though he didn’t let her go too far.

“He’s downstairs. I hit him in the head with a piece of rebar.” She stopped him when he tried to rush past to get the stairs that led to the cellar. “No don’t. Please,” she asked wrapping her arms around him again, “please don’t leave me.”

He didn’t. He stayed by her side during the police interview and when they looked her over in the ambulance. He tried to get her to go the hospital but when she asked if he would take her to his place instead he relented. At least that way he could keep an eye on her. Caroline explained to Klaus on the drive home everything she’d learned from Mikael as well as her own thoughts on what they’d talked about almost ten days ago.

He was pleasantly surprised she’d come around but the lists upon lists she’d made up in her head regarding what he should do next and how he should do it truly made him smile. His girl (and he had a sneaking suspicion was officially his girl now) would see to it that he came out of skirmished unscathed and god help anyone who got on her way.

When they got to his place, she took in the trashed living room before making her way towards his master bathroom. Klaus followed her in case she needed help finding anything but she seemed to know exactly where all his toiletries were.

“ _God_ ,” he thought, “ _how would he have ever survived without her_?” When she started undressing he made to leave but she asked him to stay. He stripped down and joined her and took care to ensure the shower didn’t exacerbate her injuries. Klaus washed and conditioned her hair and then helped her into one of his dress shirts before showing her to the bed. Again she asked him to stay and he did.

That night was the first night they spent together but it wouldn’t be their last. They had plenty to talk about come morning but for now they were both content to rest in each other’s arms.

* * * 

**Author's Note:**

> This started as an Iron Man AU and then I started pulling a little bit from Arrow and some rom-com tropes. It isn’t what I planned to write but I ended up loving so I’m really hoping you enjoyed it too!  
> Shout out to Cristy, Jess and Mon for letting me pick their brains and talk me down off the writing ledge.


End file.
